Predators’ David Poile named 2016-17 NHL GM of the Year

David Poile of the Nashville Predators has been named the NHL’s 2016-17 General Manager of the Year.

All 30 GMs plus a panel of NHL executives and print and broadcast media vote on this award at the end of second round of the playoffs.

From the NHL:

Poile’s work helped the Predators earn a postseason berth for the 10th time in 13 seasons and advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time. Nashville’s leading scorer Viktor Arvidsson, selected 112th overall in 2014, became the latest key player drafted and developed under Poile, joining a list that includes goaltender Pekka Rinne and defensemen Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. Poile also has added several influential players via trade, with defenseman P.K. Subban (June 2016) following forwards Ryan Johansen (January 2016), James Neal (June 2014), Filip Forsberg (April 2013) and Mike Fisher (February 2011). Poile captured the award for the first time in his fourth year as a finalist.

Here’s the voting breakdown:

Considering when the voting took place, it was pretty clear that Poile was winning this award. Some interesting first-place votes above, but how he improved the Predators team since last summer, resulting in the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance, is why he won.